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The Sniper
'"The Sniper" '''is the thirty-third episode of ''New Frontier, the fifth season, and the 111th episode overall. It was told and narrated by Rhys, premiering on November 26, 2014. In the episode, Simon is confronted with his past when he must decide whether or not to act on behalf of the Cult of Gallifrey to kill the Archduke. The Episode Simon did not want to be an assassin. That was far beyond his comfort zone. Yes, the Archduke had done terrible things in the past. Yes, he had betrayed Simon despite his unwavering loyalty. He put Tomorrowland in danger by refusing VMK's friendly offers until it was too late. And now he was a threat to the peacekeeping Cult of Gallifrey. Yes, the evidence was stacked high. But not enough for Simon to kill him. "The Archduke is very ill," Simon said, "He'll be dead of his own accord before too long." Mona shook her head angrily. Her hair flopped eccentrically to the side. "No. No. Every second he lives is another he could be plotting our demise. The Archduke has extensive control. He can easily destroy us." "But all his power was surely squashed when he was arrested." "He escaped his prison," Mona said, "He has gone back to Tomorrowland." Simon stared. "How did he escape?" "He received aid from his Viceroys." "The Viceroys hate him," Simon said. Mona snickered. "We all thought that. Turns out they're incredibly loyal." Simon thought for a moment. "Judy sent me...knowing I would have to kill Kevin?" Mona was silent. "Well?" Simon pressed, "Did she know?" "Yes," Mona said finally. Simon paced. "How would I kill him? Just walk up and shoot him?" Mona smiled. "Better." She eagerly hurried over to a small table hastily erected in the corner. She opened a metal briefcase and removed something in a bag. She dropped it into Simon's hand. "A cyanide capsule. When in contact with any liquid, it melts in less than half a second." Simon went to open the bag, but Mona grabbed his hand. "NO!" she cried, "It's very moist in here." Simon tried not to snicker at her highly funny innuendo. "I'm not going to be your assassin. You can't make me. Tell Judy she made a mistake. I...I...I have to go." "Go where?" Mona said, "You have nothing to go back to." Simon paused. That was very true. "I have a brother..." Simon said, but he stopped himself. His brother was long gone. Dead or missing. He disappeared when he was six years old and Simon was eight. "Well, you could go back to your brother," Mona said, "but I think I know a reason why you should do what I ask." Simon gulped. She was going to kill him or threaten him or something. "How long ago was it that you lost your parents?" Simon stared. "9 years," he said bluntly, "And I'm very sensitive about it, so thank you for your time and offer, but no thanks." "Simon," Mona said as Simon headed for the exit, "He killed your parents." Time stood still. THE MORGAN RESIDENCE NINE YEARS AGO Simon waited. Dad was supposed to be home with chicken parmesan pizza. Mom looked at her watch. "Call him again?" Simon did. He dialed the number. It rang but it went to voicemail almost instantly. "No answer." Mom bit her lip. "One more time, Simon." Simon looked at her. She was batting back tears. Simon dialed the number. Instant voicemail. "Nothing, Mom." Mom dropped her head into her hands. "Is he with another one?" Simon asked. Mom dabbed at her eyes behind her glasses with a napkin. "I don't know, Simon," she said. Last year, when Simon was fourteen, his father had an affair with an underaged teenager. The scandal broke the Tomorrowland news. His father, one of the Archduke's doctors, and the teenager, one of Simon's classmates, created the worst sex scandal in the history of Tomorrowland. Simon's mother refused to believe the facts until they grew too great to bear. Their marriage had been kept together purely by Dad's counseling and Simon's begging. But Mom had hardly any trust left for him. She confided to Simon one evening a few weeks ago that she was pursuing a divorce. "I hope he's not with another woman," Simon said. Mom smiled nervously and fought back more tears. "I hope so too." "Morgan Family," the computerized intercom said. Mom stood up eagerly. "Have you found him, Mrs. Smith?" she asked the computer. "Affirmative. Morgan, Byron Location: SpaceWalk Terminal 7." "Oh thank God!" Mom cried, "He's almost home! Thank you, Mrs. Smith!" The computer beeped. Mom hugged Simon. "He's coming home!" she cried. "You should go meet him," Simon said, "He'd like that." Mom didn't have the heart to say she didn't feel like it. She didn't want to tell her son that she no longer loved her husband. But she knew that going would make Simon happy. He had already lost his brother; he didn't want to lose his parents too. Katherine Morgan left her house for the last time that evening. The SpaceWalk between Terminals 7 and 8 malfunctioned that night for the first time in history. The glass, ever so safe for years, cracked in one spot which in turn caused the entirety of the walkway to shatter. Forty people exactly were sucked into space. No bodies were able to be recovered. Out of the forty who had died, one was an aid to the Archduke, another a doctor to the Archduke, and a famous painter. But the story that moved the nation was the one of a woman who had taken one step on the Walkway on the way to meet her husband before the glass cracked and her life ended. Simon waited for two hours alone in his house. The police arrived and solemnly delivered the news. His parents' will was read to him on the spot, revealing he was allowed to keep the house, but Simon never listened. He was too alone to say anything. The weeks that followed were the worst of his life. Police would find a diamond that belonged to his mother's necklace or the pizza box his father was carrying. But never a body. Simon never got to see his mother or father's face again. His brother. His mother. His father. Undeniably alone. TSEREVE PRESENT DAY "You can't know that," Simon said, "The SpaceWalk malfunctioned." "You know that can't happen," Mona said, "It's foolproof. Absolutely impossible to crack." "No," Simon said, "Because there have been more incidents. That was only the first. The SpaceWalks closed before the War because of the danger." "No," Mona said now, "The Archduke ordered those cracks." "You're lying!" Simon yelled at the old woman. Mona sighed. She took Simon's hand. "Simon, what I ask of you is extreme. I understand the gravity of your acceptance. But Judy didn't send you because you were close to the Archduke. She sent you because he killed your parents." Simon's jaw twitched. "What would the Archduke have to gain from killing my parents? They were his doctors." "It was an accident," Mona said, "The SpaceWalk that night carried the Archduke's biggest competitor in the next election. With him gone, the Archduke would have an easy victory." "No," Simon said, "That's false. The Archduke nearly lost in the next election." "His opponent got off the SpaceWalk around the same time your mother got on. There were many accidents that night, but it was the Archduke's order that slaughtered your family." "That bastard," Simon blurted, "That ### bastard." Mona took Simon's other hand. She unfolded his clenched fist. The cyanide tablet was inside. "Your final answer?" Simon looked into Mona's eyes. "I'll do it." Production Continuity and Story Arcs This was the first mention of Simon's lost brother. However, it was not the first mention of his parents, hinted all season to have died in the SpaceWalk Terminals. The circumstnaces of those deaths were revealed in this episode. References The line "time stood still" is a reference to an 80's song used in popular culture to illustrate a devastating event. Trivia *Chicken parmesan pizza was what producers were eating when they wrote this episode. *The decision to have Simon's parents have a tumultuous marriage was made impromptu. Producers thought it would add another layer to Simon's character and was ultimately very pleased with it. They also rewrote it to have Simon ask his mother to go to the SpaceWalk Terminal as opposed to her going of her own free will to add an additional layer of guilt. *Byron Morgan's affair was inspired by one of the producer's roommates having a relationship with a minor. *Byron is a reference to Lord Byron, a famous Englishman with a shady sexual history. His wife, Katherine, gets her name from Katherine of Aragon who was cheated on by her husband, Henry VIII of England. *The computer, Mrs. Smith, is a mock of Mr. Smith, the computer from The Sarah Jane Adventures. Category:Episodes Category:New Frontier Episodes